


Counting Stars

by narwalish



Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-01
Updated: 2014-02-01
Packaged: 2018-01-10 19:48:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1163764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/narwalish/pseuds/narwalish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Makoto was taught an important lesson by Haruka when they were children, and he does best to remember it after all these years.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Counting Stars

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rainbowtoxicity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowtoxicity/gifts).



> My first Free! Fanfiction x3  
> Wrote this for the lovely fangirlsassemble  
> Love you, my little Mako x3  
> Hope you like it!

Makoto took in a deep breath. He shouldn't be this nervous, he knew he was just being stupid, but this date was enough to get him worried.  
Why was he getting like this now?! He couldn't afford to have his hands shake when he- oh god. No. Stop. Stop thinking about it, Mako. Just act as Normal, act cheery, happy, not scared as shit-  
He let out the breath that he had been holding for far too long. Leaning against the wall of the outside of the large building, he stared up at the stars, counting each one.  
This had been a trick that Haruka himself had come up with. Makoto smiled softly at the memory.

They were 11.

_"Haru!" Makoto ran up to his friend, hugging him from behind. The raven haired boy jumped, turning to look at him. Mako frowned at the sight of his usually calm friend, trembling. His face looked deadpan, as usual, bt there was something in his eyes that made Makoto anxious. Haru opened his mouth to speak, once again surprising the Brunette.  
"Mako... Are you okay about starting Middle school?"_

Mako remembered Haruka was always the one to dislike movement. He didn't like change. He would rather swim for the rest of his life than have to do anything out of place. They were to start middle school the next day, and unsurprisingly, Haruka was not one to get excited.

 _"Yeah... I guess. You'll be there, right? So it'll all be okay!"_  
"I don't wanna go."  
Makoto sighed. "You have to, Haru. Your mum won't be happy if you refuse to go."  
"Still don't wanna."  
Scratching the back of his head slightly, Mako stared at the sky. "Try and find something that will calm you down. Like when you can't sleep. That should help."  
"Like-"  
"Not like swimming."  
"Oh."

Makoto remembered laughing at that. Haruka's constant desire to be in the water. It had been that night that he had a call from the raven-haired boy.

 _Makoto groggingly took the phone from his mother, groaning. "Haru, what is it? It's 10pm..." He had been happily napping on the sofa when his mother had shaken him awake, saying he had a call from his best friend._  
"I found a way!"  
"Wait, what...? Found a way to do what?! We have school tomorrow..."  
"I'm not scared anymore! I found a way to calm down!"  
"Oh, god... It's not swimming is it? You'll catch a cold..."  
"No, no! I'm counting the stars!"  
"Counting... The stars...?"  
"Yeah, it's good! Because I know that you're under the same stars, and that makes me remember you're still here! By counting them, it means that I'll always know that I'll have millions of them! Millions of things to share with you, Mako!"

10 years later, and it still applied. Makoto smiled softly at the child-like innocence of his friend, remembering how little things had changed since then, and yet how much was different. They were no longer just best friends, but boyfriends. But they were still together, and that's what mattered.

"What are you smiling about?"  
Makoto jumped, turning towards the voice of his partner. "Sorry..." The brunette chuckled "Just daydreaming."  
"Well, you had better not daydream on this date, I came out specially because you asked me to. It's late, you know."  
Mako grinned at Haru. He really hadn't changed at all.  
"So why did you ask me to come to the local pool? Not exactly romantic..."  
"I know, but we can make it romantic."  
Gently taking Haruka's hand, the two stepped inside the old building. Mako had managed to get permission to rent the pool for one night, all for Haru.

They walked through the old corridors, eventually coming to the outside area which held the swimming pool. Unsurprisingly, the first thing the raven haired man did was pull off the clothes he was wearing, albeit the swimsuit he was wearing underneath.

Chuckling, Makoto watched his boyfriend jump into the pool at record speed, eager to complete the laps he had been deprived of for (admittedly) a couple of days.

Pulling his shirt off, the brunette stared up at the sky. Come on, be brave. Don't go back now.  
Mako pulled his trousers off, leaving him in only his swimming costume, and made his way over to the side of the pool that Haru was aiming for. Quickly looking up at the sky, he smiled again.

"What are you doing?" Looking down, he saw Haru, leaning his arms on the side of the pool in front of him.  
"Oh, nothing. Just counting the stars, I guess."  
A glint of amusement flashed across Haru's eyes. "You still do that? And anyway, what have you got to be nervous about?"  
Taking a deep breath, Mako knew this was it. He took the box that he had previously pulled from his jeans pocket and brought it from behind his back. Haru's eyes widened as he opened it.  
"Ah."  
"Will you?"  
"I can understand why you'd be nervous."  
"You didn't Answer my question"  
"I didn't think I needed to."  
"So...?"  
"Yes, I'll marry you, idiot."  
Leaning down as Haru pulled him into a kiss, Mako smiled.  
Looks like counting stars payed off after all.

And they'd be sharing them forever.


End file.
